Viral Brixton TikTok stirs up 'depressing' gentrification debate

A viral social media clip of a TikTiker exploring Brixton has sparked a debate about gentrification in the capital.

The clip was originally posted on TikTok by user @karen.akc and showed edited-together clips of various eating and drinking locations in Brixton appearing to largely catering to young, white middle-class customers.

It was shared on Twitter with the caption “‘come with me to brixton’ nah this is mad”, where it has been viewed almost 866,000 times and stirred debate among Londoners.

Brixton has often been referred to as a cultural melting pot but, responding to the clip, some suggested it shows how gentrification has caused the area in South London to lose its character and to become white-washed.

One person wrote: “I'm not from Brixton, but we all know the Brixton of old. This isn't it.

“We know places change, but I'll always be uncomfortable with how previously black and multi-ethnic, working class areas have become so attractive to gentrifiers.

“When will it stop?...”

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Someone else said: “I can’t believe this is the same Brixton that you wouldn’t dare go to if you wasn’t a local.”

Another argued: “The funniest/most depressing part of this is the tight camera angles to avoid anything to do with Afro-Caribbean culture, history, food, music etc.”

“I literally hate everyone in this video. Everyone,” someone else said.

One person wrote: “Make Brixton black again.”

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